The head of ICRC operations in East Africa, Mr Eric Marclay, in a statement, warned that the lives of hundreds of thousands of people were under threat due to a severe lack of food, poor access to clean water and health care.
The humanitarian agency estimated that more than 100,000 people had been forced to leave their homes during the past four weeks because of an upsurge in violence.
According to ICRC, this comes on top of around two million people, who have already been forced to flee their homes during the past 18 months since the crisis began.
Many have crossed into neighbouring Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya.He said, “We have received several reports of direct attacks on civilians.
Our medical teams are performing life-saving surgery around the clock to cope with the influx of the wounded.
“The humanitarian situation is deteriorating. Many people have been killed and wounded. Some people have been displaced for the second or third time.
“There is an urgent need for civilians to be respected, unconditionally.”Macklay added that warring parties, the international community and aid agencies must take immediate, sustained and wide-ranging actions.
“There is a desperate need for food and drinking water and access to health care. If the situation does not improve, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are threatened,” he added.
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